The impact of alcohol on your mental and physical health

Many people are able to enjoy drinking alcohol in moderation, but there can be some serious side effects when a person binge drinks or drinks heavily over a long period of time.

There are short and long-term effects of alcohol that can negatively impact your physical and mental health. The effects of alcohol can range from temporary memory loss to death; in 2015, there were 8,758 alcohol-related deaths in the UK. Alcohol is also known to cause 7 types of cancer, including breast, mouth, and bowel cancer.

What impact can alcohol have on your body?

Drinking too much alcohol can cause a range of negative effects on your body, from damaging your liver to affecting the way you look, for example:

Regular drinking can affect the quality of your sleep, making you feel tired throughout the day.

Alcohol irritates your stomach and digestive system – even a small amount of alcohol causes your stomach to produce more acid than usual, which leads to inflammation of the stomach lining. This can lead to stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

Alcohol can play a role in high blood pressure, which can increase your risk of stroke or heart attack.

Drinking alcohol dehydrates your body in general, including your skin. Drinking too much can deprive your skin of vital vitamins and nutrients. Long-term, heavy drinking can lead to rosacea, which is a skin disorder that often begins with episodes of blushing.

Alcohol can cause your face to look bloated and puffy, it can also bloat your stomach

Alcohol Poisoning

Your body processes one unit of alcohol in an hour, and if you drink a lot of alcohol in a short space of time then the amount of alcohol in your blood can stop your body from working properly.

Drinking too much alcohol can:

Cause you to lose your sense of balance

Irritate the stomach which leads to vomiting, and it can also stop your gag reflex, meaning you can choke on, or inhale your own vomit into your lungs

Affect your breathing and heartbeat, with the chance of stopping both

Make you dehydrated, which can lead to permanent brain damage

Lower your body temperature and blood sugar levels

Alcohol-related Diseases

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to a number of diseases, such as:

Pancreatitis

Bowel cancer

Liver disease

Breast cancer

Diabetes

Heart disease

Oral cancer

What impact can alcohol have on your mental health?

Alcohol is a depressant, which means it can affect our thoughts, feelings and actions, and occasionally our long-term mental health. For many people, drinking alcohol can make them feel more confident and less anxious, however, the more you drink, the more of the brain is affected. With an increase in alcohol, there is an increased chance that you could become angry, aggressive, or depressed.

Drinking alcohol can lead to:

Self-harm

Suicide

Anxiety

Memory loss

Stress

How much is too much?

In January 2016, the government revised their guidelines and lowered the alcohol limit of men to be the same as women, down from 21 units to 14. The government’s unit guidelines state that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption, and both men and women are now advised to not drink more than 14 units per week on a regular basis. If a person is drinking 14 units of alcohol per week it is recommended that they spread this evenly throughout the week.

To lower the risk of short-term health effects, the government advise limiting of amount of alcohol in one session, and drinking more slowly by alternating drinks with food and/or water. Having one or two heavy drinking sessions can increase the risk of death from long-term illness, accidents and injuries.

About the author

DNA Legal go to incredible lengths for every client.
We review your whole case and look at every angle. We don't stop at simply issuing your result - we consider the reasons why your result is what it is.

Disclaimer. The content of this website is for information purposes only. It is not indented for any other use. The authors of the website disclaim and any and all liability, loss, injury or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use or application of any content of this web site. The information should not been used as medical advice. You should always contact a doctor to discuss any and all medical issues in combination with your medical and family record. Do not take any medical decisions without first fully discussing with your doctor.